You'll love roppongi - for about an hour and a half. After that you realize that it's nothing more than a tourist trap with overpriced drinks. There are many, many places in Tokyo that are much cooler and more authentic.

Roppongi is boring. Shinjuku and Shibuya are all about shopping, so if you like shopping, it's great. Shibuya has the busiest intersection in the world, I believe, but it's pretty fun to be in that crowd anyway when the lights turn red and around 1000 people are crossing the street every few minutes. Ginza is full of the more designer shops, from what I can remember.

Also, when you're in central Tokyo, you may have trouble finding an internet cafe for tourists. The best thing to do is to email from an Apple store. Seriously. You may be different though, since you'll have a mobile to email from.

Just curious if anyone here currently lives in Japan? I will be in country middle of next month for about 3 years!

I'm actually in the Air Force, so I will in Fussa, Tokyo. But, looking forward to seeing Shibuya and Roppongi!

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There are many things to see and do in Japan based upon where you will be.

Besides the obvious sightseeing in Tokyo (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Naka Meguro, Ginza, Tsukiji, Akihabara, Ropongi), there are many other cities and areas nearby to enjoy such as Yokohama, Odawara, Inoshima, Kamakura, etc. Get out and explore is a great way to meet the Japanese and learn about their culture.

Be sure to climb Mt. Fuji and get your walking stick!

Do you like skiing and snowboarding? Well if so, you are in luck as there are some very nice places to enjoy yourself.

You can find clubs for many activities such as SCUBA diving, flying, golfing, etc.

When you get time you can travel to places like Hokkaido, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Nagoya, Matsumoto & Isu Peninsula, and then off Island to Okinawa, Korea, Guam, China, Hong Kong, Australia & Thailand.

There are many things to see and do in Japan based upon where you will be.

Besides the obvious sightseeing in Tokyo (Shinjuku, Shibuya, Naka Meguro, Ginza, Tsukiji, Akihabara, Ropongi), there are many other cities and areas nearby to enjoy such as Yokohama, Odawara, Inoshima, Kamakura, etc. Get out and explore is a great way to meet the Japanese and learn about their culture.

Be sure to climb Mt. Fuji and get your walking stick!

Do you like skiing and snowboarding? Well if so, you are in luck as there are some very nice places to enjoy yourself.

You can find clubs for many activities such as SCUBA diving, flying, golfing, etc.

When you get time you can travel to places like Hokkaido, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Nagasaki, Nagoya, Matsumoto & Isu Peninsula, and then off Island to Okinawa, Korea, Guam, China, Hong Kong, Australia & Thailand.

Your 3 years will go by very quickly.

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Yeah, agreed. Most importantly, be sure to get out and about to other parts of the country as Sushi suggested - including Himeji Castle (between Osaka and Hiroshima) especially during cherry blossom 'season' which will be around the time you arrive by the sounds of things

Yeah, agreed. Most importantly, be sure to get out and about to other parts of the country as Sushi suggested - including Himeji Castle (between Osaka and Hiroshima) especially during cherry blossom 'season' which will be around the time you arrive by the sounds of things

Edit: forgot to add, that I do indeed live in Japan (Tokyo actually)

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Of course it snowed(!) yesterday in Shin Yokohama meaning that the Cherry Blossoms are hiding for a while longer. I did see a bunch in Kyoto later in the day though even though it was still pretty cold down there.

I live in Hyogo Prefecture, less than a half hour from Kobe and even closer to Himeji.

There are a lot of things to see and do in Japan, but over the course of 3 years, you as many of my friends have will probably get quite "used to" it. Once the novelty of visiting shrines/temples and restaurants as worn off, and once you've shopped up and down through game/anime/book/clothing/food stores, there's little left to do that isn't something you could do elsewhere in the world (such as snowboard or go snorkeling).

Don't get me wrong there's a lot of great things here to see and do, but it's not the wonderland that some people talk about it as. They are generally the obsessed ones who think that Japan is the holy grail of all of life's goals, and that living here is the ultimate success. They get here and a few years later most of them are eager to go back to their home country .

You'll be in the air force so that'll keep you busy, so perhaps you won't have time to see and do everything you want. Make a list of the top things you'd like to do while here, and go down the list. Himeji castle during sakura blossom season is pretty sweet.

I've been in Tokyo for the last 2 years and am on my way out to the USA in a few days. I just felt more comfortable living in the USA. But, I will have a tie with Japan as I own a property in Tokyo which I will rent out via my real estate management agency.

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